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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 American Silver before sterling
 auction mania
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| Author | Topic: auction mania |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 01-27-2008 09:49 PM
  
The internet auction just finished so now I can voice my concern. A bright cut ladle by R Humphrey was auctioned as a 1771 Wilmington, Delaware ladle. The buyer has paid just over 3,000.00 for it. I had always thought of Humphrey as a Philadelphia silversmith. He served his apprenticeship in Wilmington and, as I always thought, Moved to Philadelphia. This would make all of his silver Philadelphian and not Wilmington. After having seen the intial listing I started combing through all my references and asking a few other collectors. I went so far as calling a major museum and talked to the curator. So now for the question. Am I correct in thinking Humphrey as wholley a Philadelphia smith or did this buyer strike gold. I will know everything about Early American Silver if I live to the year 3810. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 01-27-2008 11:20 PM
Ruthanna Hindes in her book on Delaware Silversmiths 1700-1850 states that Richard Humphreys worked in Wilmington in 1771 and moved to Philadelphia in August of 1772 “where he did all of his known work”. Bleden states that Humphreys apprenticed to Bancroft Woodcock from 1765-72 in Wilmington and worked in Philadelphia 1772-96. I have always thought that the bright cut was popular around 1790. A similar ladle, but with bell flowers descending from the bright cut oval is shown on page 61 off Early Connecticut Silver, 1700-1840 by Peter Bohan and Philip Hammerslough. This ladle has the mark of Connecticut silversmith Timothy Bontecou, Jr. The authors place this ladle circa 1785. None of my books show the Humphreys mark with a notch for the top of the second h in "Humphreys" to rest in. Belden shows R. Humphreys without this notch. No reference is given by the seller for the importance of this notch. The bright cut pattern has always been one of my favorites and the length of these early ladles is impressive. They are all beautiful wherever made. [This message has been edited by ahwt (edited 01-27-2008).] IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 01-28-2008 12:32 PM
Anyone who pays that kind of price ought to know what they are getting. All it takes in an auction is two bidders who realy want something badly enough to run up a price, but one sale does not make a trend. The winning buyer was inexperienced on ebay (0 feedback), but the other final bidder was not. Ebay sellers often shade the truth in their headings, but equivocate in the text, as this one did, so they can claim ignorance. Humphreys is a desirable maker in his own right, and some of his work does go high. He was trained in Delaware, so there is a legitimate Delaware connection, and the fact that he was apprenticed to Bancroft Woodcock may be an added attraction to Delaware collectors. IP: Logged |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 01-30-2008 03:35 PM
'Three Centuries of Historic Silver', Loan Exhibitions under the Auspices of the Pennsylvania Society of the Colonial Dames of America by Mrs. Alfred Coxe Prime. On page 47 Is an entry for Richard Humphreys. Within the first paragraph is the following: In the Pennsylvania Gazette for November 7th, 1771, we find the following: "Just imported from London, fresh quantities of Dr. Hills American Balsam, to be sold at Wilmington, by Richard Humphreys, Goldsmith," So it seems as though Humphreys did work for appx one year in Wilmington. It does not imply that the ladle wqas made in Wilmington but most likely in Philadelphia. This is most likely as the bright cut decoration used was that used in the 1790's. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 05-27-2017 10:00 PM
I ran across this old post looking for something else (as is my habit) and could not resist observing how times have changed. I recently had notice of another very nice Humphrey's ladle of this ilk and vintage changing hands at around an eighth of the price quoted above. What a difference a decade makes. IP: Logged |
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